Filing device



April 29, 1930. LE Rol E. HUTcHlNGs FILING DEVICE Filed May 11, 1927 essary in the production of the device.

Patented Apr. 29,

" I .si'

LE ROI E. EUTCHINGS, OF BUFFALO, NEI/V YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY vMESN'Ev ASSIGNMENTS, '.IO REMINGTON RAND INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE FILING DEVICE i Applicationiiied may 1i, 1927. serial No. 190,504.

This invention relates'to a ling device and has reference more particularly to filing devices of the type in which a series of pocketforming partitions are liingedly supported in 5 a filing drawer. y' In iling devices for installation in drawers already in use, it is desirable to have same adjustable for any length of drawer, so that an abnormal number of dies will not be necalso desirable from a It is users standpoint to have the pockets of the filing device adjustable as to width so spondence in a partic that when the correular subjecty becomes bulky, the width of the pocket may be inof hingedly supported partitions are providcreased.

An object of this inventionv therefore is to provide filing devices in which the pocketforining partitions aredetachably connect- 20 ed in such a way that the lengthof the filing unit can be adjusted to suit any length of drawer.

Another object of this invention is to provide a filing device in which thewidth of any particular pocket in the device can be varied to suit the thickness of the 'correspondence contained therein,

A further lobject of theinvention is to provide a filing device in which a plurality to provide a filing devi ce in which a number of hingedly mounted partitions are detachably connected together and are provided with means adapted to of the drawery to limit engage the side walls.

the swinging of the partitions; also toy improve ling devicesin other respects hereinafter specified and claimed.

Reference is to be had to theaccompanying drawings forming apartof this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspe ctive view of my improved filing device mounted in a drawer with parts broken awa struction,

yl to disclose the conpartition sections attached to-y l-l of Figure 2, through one of the parti-v tions showing the clip-attaching means,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the index limiting stop clips for the partitions, ','Figure 6 is a transv'ersesectional elevation showing a modified partition unit, and

Figure 7 is a sectional plan view of several of the modified partition units attached together. i *j Referring tothe accompanying drawings by numerals, 10 indicates the bottom, 11 the side walls and 12 the frontwall of a file drawer of any standard construction for supporting correspondence or other documents on edge. yA series of partitions 18 formed of sheet metal, cardboard or other suitable material are hingedly supported in the drawer so as to form pocketsv 14 for the receptionof correspondence or lother docu-l ments 15 and for dividing the same into divisions according .to subject matter. y

A base plate 16 is hingedly connected at one edge to the lower edge of each partition plate 13 by means vof a hinge pin 17 and maintains the partitions 13 in spaced relation. The

ybase plate 16 of each unit is provided at the edge opposite the hinge pin 17'with a plurality of tongues l18 which are preferably integral with thefbase plate 16 and are bent back substantially'parallel to said baseplate so as to form hooks. Registering with the tongues 18 and formed in the plate 16, are aplurality of series of slots 19 and 20 which are.` l

adapted to receive' the tongues 18- of an adjoining base plate 16 as shown in Figure 3 so as to connect the base plates together one tothe other; As shown in Figure 2 lon-ly two series of slots'19 and 20 are provided, but additional series of slots may beV also formed in plate 16 so that by engaging the hooks 18 in any desired'series of slots, the width of the pocket 14 formed by the adjacent partition plates 13 may be adjusted as desired as clearly shown in Figure 3. "In order topi-elil ' the hinge pin 17 oi the adjoining partition unit.

In order to limit the swinging of the partition plates v13 a plurality of'slots 23 are formed in each partition plate 13 adjacent each upper corner thereof so as to form tongues 24C. Pressed beads 25 are formed in the tongues 24: and extend inwardly into the body of the plate or the purpose of stiffening said tongues and also for engaging an index stop member 26. The clip 26 is preferably tubular in shape as shown in Figure 5, and

- the free edges 27 thereof are bent inwardly slightly so as to resiliently press against the inside 0f the Abead 25 and maintainsaid index clip securely in place on the desired tongue 24.v Av letter 28, Vor other designating character, may be provided on the index clip 26 soas to serve to identify the subject matter of the documents contained in the pockets 14. Since a plurality of tongues .24 are provided on each plate 13, the verticalv position of the stop members 26 can be adjusted to suit the height of the side walls 11 of any drawer so as to give the desired swing of the partition plates 13. A stifening strip 29 may be applied along the top edge of partition plates 13, the ends 30 of said strip extending outwardly beyond the edge of plate 13 so as to permit manual actuation or swinging of the plates 13. Y

It should be understood'that the base plate 16 may be detachablyV connected together in a variety of ways, andan additional way of accomplishing this result -is shown in Figures' and 7. In this form of the invention out-` wardly extending tongues 31 and 32 are provided on theropposite corners of base plate 16a and a series of slots33 areformed adjacent each lateral edge of said base plate 162, said slots being adapted to receive the tongues 31 and 32. In this form of the invention, the partition units mayV be shipped in knocked-down form, in which case it is better.

to have one tongue 31 extending parallel to the plate 16 but somewhat offset therefrom as shown in Figure 6 and the opposite tongue 32 extending at right angles to the plate 16.'

The user of the device then inserts'the tongue 31 in the desired slot 33 and the tongue 32 is` 1 then slipped into place in the' opposite correslot 33. The user then bends the liengl whichserves to lock the base plates 16 together to form a series.

In some cases it is desirable to alter the spacing of the partition members 13 after the filing device is in use so as to increase the width of the pocket 14 as the documents contained therein become more bulky. In the form of the deviceshown in Figures 1-5, the correspondence is removedlfrom Va single pocket 14C and by lifting upwardly on ther partition plate 13,.the shoulders 21 are disengaged from slots 22 and the tongues 18 can then be disconnected fromslots 19 and moved into slots 20. This operation can be accomplished without Vremoving the entire filing'V device from thedrawer.V In the Yform of the device-shown in Figures 6 and 7 the spacing of the pockets 1d is somewhat more perinanent in character, and itis necessary to remove the entire filing device from the drawer and then bend tongue 32 at right angles to the plate 16a' so as to reengage tongues 31 and 32 in new slots 33, after which the tongue 32 is again bent into the lockingdotted position 34 as shown in Figure 6.

I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated examples constitute a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit of pockets for the reception of referenceV data, i

and means for varying the distance between said partitions and the width of said pockets.

2. In a filing device, a pocket unit comprising a base plate anda partition plate hingedly connected to said base plate, said unit being adapted to beV detachably connected by` its baseV plate to other similar unitsto form a.

series of pockets for the reception ofreference data.

3. In a tiling device, a drawer having side walls, a plurality of partition members, a plurality of detachably connected base meinbers each hingedly supporting av partition member independentof said drawer and havg ing an interlocking connection with an adjacent base member, and means on said partition members cooperating with said side walls to limit the swinging of said partition members. Y

4. In a filing device, a plurality of base plates having interlocking tongues andslots adapted to detachably connect said plates fin series, and a partition member4 hingedly connected to each plate so as to *forma series of pockets for .the reception of reference data. 5. In a filing device, a base plate, tongues iio formed on said plate adjacent one edge of said plate and slots formed between the edges of said plate, the tongues of said plate being adapted to engage the slots of another similar plate so that a plurality of said plates may be joined together inseries, and an upstanding partition plate hingedly connected to each base plate so as to form a series of pockets for the reception of reference data.

6. In a filing device, a plurality of base plates, interengaging tongues and slots adapted to detachably join said plates in series, stop shoulders on said plates formed for cooperation with an adjacent plate to prevent inadvertent disengagement of said plates, and partition plates hingedly connected to said base plates so as to form a series of pockets for the reception of reference data.

7 A filing unit for dividing a file drawer into a plurality of pockets, comprising a plurality of partition members, and means hingedly connected to the bottoms of said partition members adjustably securing said members in pocket-forming relation and permitting relative movement between said members on said hinged connections.

8. A ling unit for dividing a le drawer into a plurality of pockets, comprising a plurality of partition members, spacing means hingedly connected to the bottoms of said partition members adjustably securing saidl members in pocket-forming relation and permitting relative movement between said members on said hinged connections, and means adjustably mounted o n each partition member for engagement with said drawer,

to limit the movement of said partition memf ber on its hinge connection with the aforesaid spacing means.

LE ROI E.' HUTCHINGS. 

